Ribena Suntory. Health information. Lucozade Ribena Suntory, 2018. https://www.lrsuntory.com/our-brands/lucozade-energy/health/. Even if you are alone when you have a hypo and you become unconscious, your body will slowly respond by naturally increasing blood sugar levels.

World Health Organisation. Definition and diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and intermediate hyperglycaemia. Report of a WHO/IDF consultation. Geneva: WHO, 2006.

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Children will need less than this to treat a hypo. Your child’s diabetes team will advise on the amount of hypo treatment they need. If you use an insulin pump, your treatment may be different, so talk to your diabetes team for advice. Which hypo treatment you choose is up to you. The type and amount depends on what works best for you. It might depend on your taste, or how easy it is to store or carry around. Husband AC, et al. The effectiveness of glucose, sucrose, and fructose in treating hypoglycemia in children with type 1 diabetes. Pediatr Diabetes 2010; 11( 3): 154– 8. The second Lucozade variety, Lucozade Sport, was launched in 1990. The carbohydrate source in Lucozade Sport is also glucose, from its main ingredient glucose syrup. LRS has claimed the isotonic carbohydrate-electrolyte drink enhances physical endurance; 5 however, a systematic review found the group of studies behind this claim to be of poor quality and therefore the author was unable to draw firm conclusions about the effect on performance in exercise. 6 Rapilose® Gel should be kept with you, or with a responsible person, at all times. Rapilose® Gel tubes have an 18-month shelf life, and can be safely stored at room temperature, i.e. less than 25°C:

Lawton J, et al. Self treating hypoglycaemia: a longitudinal qualitative investigation of the experiences and views of people with type 1 diabetes. Diabet Med 2013; 30( 2): 209– 15. It’s important that your family and friends know what to do if you have a severe hypo and become unconscious. They shouldn’t try to give you any food or drink because you won’t be able to swallow. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Diabetes (type 1 and type 2) in children and young people: diagnosis and management. NICE Clinical guideline NG18. NICE, August 2015 (last updated: November 2016). Rapilose Oral Glucose Tolerance Test Solution (OGTT) is ready to use glucose solution, designed for use in glucose tolerance testing to screen for gestational diabetes and diabetes mellitus.In the community, patient choice for the treatment of hypoglycaemia is wide including glucose tablets, sweets, fruit, fruit juice, full sugar fizzy or non-fizzy drinks, biscuits, chocolate bars and crisps. 4 For patients in hospital, any of these treatments may be used by the patient self-treating hypoglycaemia. Where patients are not able to self-treat, current NHS guidelines recommend fruit juice, Lucozade, dextrose or glucose tablets or sugar dissolved in water. 3 Where oral treatment is inappropriate, for example in an unconscious patient, hypoglycaemia is treated with intramuscular glucagon or intravenous dextrose. Most hospital wards and departments as well as GP surgeries are encouraged to keep a ‘hypo box' containing treatments for hypoglycaemia for emergency use. 3

Lucozade Energy Original is sweetened with glucose syrup which contains predominantly glucose as its carbohydrate source. With a glycaemic index (GI) rating of 95, 2 the carbohydrate is rapidly absorbed. It has long been used to treat acute hypoglycaemia in patients within health care settings 3 and as the treatment of choice for many individuals with diabetes. 4 Rapilose Gel is available on prescription from healthcare advisers and is also available in hospital pharmacies and many independent chemists. Hypos can happen if the balance of diabetes medication you take (especially insulin), food you eat and physical activity you do sometimes isn’t right. Not everyone with diabetes will have hypos. World Health Organisation. Definition, diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus and its complications. Report of a WHO consultation. Geneva: WHO, 1999.Lucozade may have originally been used for its improved palatability compared to simple glucose solutions. It is less sweet and therefore causes less nausea. 9 It has also been cheaper to the NHS, particularly where patients provide their own. Changes in sugar content and why Lucozade Ribena Suntory (LRS) has been reformulating its Lucozade drinks since 2016 to contain 50% less sugar, including their famous Lucozade Energy Original. Low blood sugar levels can happen at night, so it’s a good idea to keep hypo treatments by your bed just in case. Some people don’t always notice the symptoms and wake up straight away. This means that your blood sugar levels may drop further and the hypo may be more severe. Understanding Lucozade Sport. 2018. https://www.lucozade.com/news/understanding-lucozade-sport.shtml. If you keep getting a low blood sugar level, talk to your diabetes care team about things you can do to help prevent it.

Until the change in glucose content, the volume of Lucozade required for a 75 g OGTT was 410 ml. Since the 2017 changes, this has increased to 950 ml. The criteria for performing OGTT require this to be drunk within 5 minutes. 10 This is an unrealistic volume to expect people to drink over such a short time scale. Alternative treatments for treating hypoglycaemia Wiener K. The oral glucose tolerance test – an assessment of the quality of its performance. Ann Clin Biochem 1987; 24( Pt 5): 440– 6. First launched as Glucozade in 1927, it was marketed for medicinal purposes. 1 The distinctive sweet citrus-flavoured drink underwent significant rebranding in 1983, when the slogan ‘Lucozade aids recovery' was replaced by ‘Lucozade replaces lost energy' to change its association with illness to good health and wellbeing. Lucozade as a treatment for hypoglycaemia Plan ahead when exercising. We've got lots of information on how to look after your blood sugar levels when you exercise. Both Lucozade Energy and Lucozade Sport are available in a range of flavours (many of which contain fructose from concentrated fruit juices in addition to glucose syrup) and meet the brief of a ‘sugary soft drink' for hypoglycaemia treatment. 3 Both Energy and Sport are also available as low-sugar options supplemented with intense sweeteners (on the label as ‘zero calories', ‘low cal' or ‘lite'). Lucozade in oral glucose tolerance testsAlthough widely available, fruit juice has a lower GI (40–50) than other treatments for hypoglycaemia. This explains why it can take longer to raise blood sugar. 22 In addition, it has a high potassium content (150 mg per 100 g) which makes it unsuitable for patients with significant renal impairment. 3, 24 Alternative treatments for glucose tolerance tests After treating a hypo, you may need something to eat or drink to stop your blood sugar levels from dropping again. Try to eat 15 to 20g of a slower-acting carbohydrate. This could be a: